


Our Remedies Oft in Ourselves Do Lie

by 1f_this_be_madness



Series: Storm the Court and Save the King [8]
Category: Arthurian Mythology, Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Finds Out About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Arthurian, Backstory, Banter, Bickering, Camelot, Canon Era, Character Study, Ealdor, Epic Friendship, Experimental Style, F/M, Gaius is So Done (Merlin), Gen, Gwaine Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Introspection, M/M, Merlin's Magic Revealed (Merlin), Not Canon Compliant, POV Multiple, Protective Gwaine (Merlin), Sass, Scottish Folklore & Mythology, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:39:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26331280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1f_this_be_madness/pseuds/1f_this_be_madness
Summary: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I / I took the one less travelled by, / And that has made all the difference. ~ Robert FrostWhat is the truth of fate, of the destiny that shows providence to us in our lives and in ourselves?What good was it for Merlin to hear, always, from the Great Dragon Kilgharrah that he was destined to serve Arthur, Arthorius, Mac Aeden - Welsh or Scottish born, Romanised, Anglicized and creator of the glory days of Camelot - as Emrys, the master sorcerer who could never be known for his true power as long as magic was banned.Yet if Arthur was destined to die by the hand of a son of magic, in league with his half-sister and known by his dearest love, how could Merlin yet follow such a destiny? Why would he take the dragon's word rather than forging his own path?And what would happen if he had chosen a different way?
Relationships: Alator & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Alator & Merlin (Merlin), Gaius & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Gaius & Merlin (Merlin), Gaius & Morgana (Merlin), Gwaine & Merlin (Merlin), Gwen & Merlin (Merlin), Gwen & Morgana (Merlin), Gwen/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Gwen/Lancelot (Merlin), Hunith & Merlin & Will (Merlin), Knights of the Round Table & Merlin (Merlin), Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin & Mordred (Merlin), Merlin & Nimueh (Merlin), Merlin & Will (Merlin), Morgana & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: Storm the Court and Save the King [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1912063
Comments: 6
Kudos: 16





	1. Gaius - On Fortune's Cap

If twere not the words of knowledge that decided fate; if Kilgharrah speaking as he had to Merlin set all his choices into motion, and if things had been different - if there were undertones of old, of stories from ages past, spake through rolling plain and whispering wood, from big to moor to fen, up through the highlands; if chieftains past believed in a golden age of the realm, of Camelot, and a good and just and loving leader to come out of a clan and be followed by merit, well. If only that could be.

And if it had...

°°°

It was dangerous for a magic user outside of Camelot, or any of the larger holdings of nearby kingdom or clan. As dangerous as being known inside any of them, the one difference being the ability to flee from mobs of villagers calling you a witch is far simpler than being dragged from the dungeon to the gaol by guardsmen and knights of King Uther Pendragon's army. The only relatively safe spaces were those in deepest forest and fen, where the druids reside. They, however, are people of magic and of sense enough to stay well away from much of the mundane world, mixing only with non-magical folk by necessity. Simply to lower the rates if war, particularly amongst the Pictish people and the Saxons, when they arrive to areas near Ealdor and Albion, the name given to the land of Camelot, though not oft called so due to its warlike ruler and darkling days.

No one harbours any hope of change, of a land undivided by war, as long as Uther wears the crown. Quick to feel insult and thus to anger, he is especially wrathful towards magic, its users, and the very idea of it, despite - or because of - his dealings with a person of that ilk and thus the birth of a bastard child as a result. None but he and perhaps the relations of his erstwhile consort know aught of the truth of this union as of this point, and so the child Morgana lives as a ward in his castle, second to the crown prince Arthur. They are raised as siblings but with distance, and with shame. Only on their father's account, though neither one knows about it. 

It is the court physician who raises the pair of them after they are nurselings - as best he can, at any rate - one would have to be a wizard to do everything that is expected (he mutters this on more than one occasion). It is perhaps fruitful, then, that he has his own abilities, and that his family sends, once old enough, a boy to act as his apprentice in the halls of the Citadel of Camelot. A boy with ample power in the Old Ways, druidic in nature, only requiring a bit of finesse and skill to remain unfathomed and innocuous. 

Surely he will be a help; Hunith had said her son is quick-witted and eager to learn more of the world. Gaius can only hope that Merlin will live up to the praise his mother heaps upon him, and that he may learn and be good enough to one day take Gaius' position as court physician and advisor to the King.

That is, if the monarchy can come to know and deign to trust him.

Some chance of that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, this is a piece that will be full of musings over the show Merlin as well as arthurian legends and mythos. I am doing my best to research and connect Arthur's story as it exists in books and culture to the BBC show. Hopefully to do it justice, and to deal with my feelings about the show (which occurred when watching the show whilst at university and have remained niggling at the back of my mind for years since)
> 
> I hope this will be both coherent and interesting to read
> 
> Comments appreciated <3


	2. Morgana - Nor the Soles of Her Shoe

Sister to the prince, but lesser, as half-sister and ward to a hateful king, Morgana has always known of some sort of power within. She suffers dark dreams and has done since childhood, and cannot bear to witness others being hurt. She works to discover her maternal lineage, as all she has ever been told is that King Uther is her father. Arthur, ever a brother in teasing nigh to cruelty, fights against her in the yard yet also helps her with poultices that Gaius provides in an attempt to soothe the headaches after her nightmares.

They occur at times of stress and change, and happen surely when Uther calls for battle to be waged. She does not see the connection to things yet to happen, and deals as best she can alone, and with the reluctant aid of her brother. Arthur talks with her of aspirations for what Camelot will be like in future, and she is quick to shout that he must do well upon the throne, must undo the cruelty their father has enacted. _On magic?_ he asks. _On people,_ she speaks so fiercely, firm in her belief they are people, above all, not creatures to be hunted and put to death. Killing for sport is cruel.

 _You think for Father, destroying those with magic is a sport? Morgana,_ but she holds up her hand and tells him not to pacify her, but think deeply. Think as if for a moment that he is not their father, though she wishes always that he were not. Yet think, why does he take such time to ferret out magic? What bequeaths the satisfaction in his eyes when he sends a person, sometimes even a child to the noose? She cannot change his course, she will not be king, but Arthur must do better.

_You must be better, brother dear, or I swear I will kill you myself._


End file.
